Latest news with #BassProTour
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Ott DeFoe Wins MLF Bass Pro Tour Zenni Stage 6 at Potomac River Presented by Athletic Brewing Company
CHARLES COUNTY, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 29, 2025-- After a week that saw Tennessee pro Ott DeFoe near the top of SCORETRACKER® leaderboard every day he was on the water, the Tennessee pro finally shot to the top when it mattered most, taking down the Zenni Stage 6 Presented by Athletic Brewing Company Championship Round for his fourth Bass Pro Tour regular-season win and fifth BPT win overall. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: Pro Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tennessee, won the Zenni Stage 6 Presented by Athletic Brewing Company at the Potomac River with a final day catch of 32 bass weighing 78 pounds, 11 ounces, to earn the top prize of $150,000. With a dominant final-day performance, DeFoe stacked up 32 bass for 78 pounds, 11 ounces to beat his closest pursuer in Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan by nearly 27 pounds. Nelson finished as the runner-up, his best finish on the Bass Pro Tour since joining the ranks last season. DeFoe is one of the winningest anglers in Bass Pro Tour history, behind only Jacob Wheeler and Dustin Connell, but this marks his first individual win since Heavy Hitters in 2022. It's his first regular season win since 2021 on Florida's Harris Chain of Lakes. He did it in typical DeFoe fashion, too, escaping the bulk of the 66-angler field and fishing far up a creek in the Potomac River backwaters. 'The place where I caught them today was my first stop on the first day of the tournament,' he said. 'I saw them everywhere in practice and knew it had great potential. I had some other places where I could get bites, but with an early boat number on the first day, I had to go and see if I could get there first because it's not a big area.' Fishing the same general area as fellow Championship Round qualifier Keith Carson, both got off to fast starts the first day. "[Carson] was in there with me as well, fishing a little different section, but it was a blistering start on the first day for both of us,' he said. 'I had 40 pounds by noon, but I had a later boat draw the second day, and I drove there and could see some other competitors idling back in there. I opted to turn around and leave and really struggled most of the day and barely made it to the Knockout Round.' DeFoe couldn't make any other areas work but caught enough to advance. He was all-in on the area the final two days and took advantage of the tide schedule to get as far back as possible and reach bass in ultra-shallow water during the high tide, catching many of these fish he visually saw cruising due to the clear water. 'In practice, the best bite was mid-to-lower part of the outgoing tide when the water was really moving; kind of that mid-tide zone to the bottom end of the tide,' he said. 'That's when the bite made the most sense. We only got that the first day of the tournament, though. The high tide was the best for my deal because I could get so much further back. That was the most productive for me, especially today with how high the tide was during the final days of the tournament.' Getting to ultra-shallow water was helped by the tide schedule, and DeFoe believes the recent excessive heat was also a benefit, pushing bass to the shelter in the cooler creeks. 'All of the major tributaries have a lot cooler water because it's flowing, and then you have big pad flats and cover going in for bass to relate to,' he said. 'With the extreme heat we had here, I believe it was a driving factor in why so many bass were up there. It also seemed like new fish were coming every day.' The top 10 at the Zenni Stage 6 Presented by Athletic Brewing Company on the Potomac River finished: 1st: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 32 bass, 78-11, $150,000 2nd: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 23 bass, 51-13, $45,000 3rd: Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., 20 bass, 44-11, $35,000 4th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 21 bass, 43-11, $30,000 5th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 20 bass, 41-9, $25,000 6th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 20 bass, 40-12, $23,000 7th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 18 bass, 36-7, $22,000 8th: Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 15 bass, 35-7, $21,000 9th: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 31-1, $20,500 10th: Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 14 bass, 30-1, $20,000 A complete list of results can be found at Overall, there were 198 scorable bass caught weighing 434 pounds, 3 ounces, by the final 10 pros on Sunday. Pro Bradley Roy won Sunday's $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award with a 4-pound, 9-ounce largemouth that he caught on a bladed swimjig in Period 2. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day. The four-day Zenni Stage 6 Presented by Athletic Brewing Company at the Potomac River was hosted by the Charles County Government, Dept. of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, and showcased 66 of the top professional anglers in the world competing for a $150,000 top prize, a share of the $6.49 million season purse, and valuable AOY points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2026, the Bass Pro Tour championship. Television coverage of the Zenni Stage 6 at the Potomac River Presented by Athletic Brewing Company will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 1 on Discovery, with the Championship Round premiering on Saturday, Nov. 8. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel. The 2025 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 66 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2026 championship. Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, Bass Force, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Rapala, Star brite, Suzuki, Toyota and Zenni. For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF's social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. About Major League Fishing Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world's largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America's living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world's top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care. View source version on CONTACT: MEDIA CONTACT: JOE OPAGER DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS p: 218.434.0748 e:[email protected] KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA TENNESSEE MARYLAND INDUSTRY KEYWORD: OUTDOORS FISHING SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT TV AND RADIO SOURCE: Major League Fishing Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 06/29/2025 08:07 PM/DISC: 06/29/2025 08:07 PM
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ott DeFoe Wins MLF Bass Pro Tour Zenni Stage 6 at Potomac River Presented by Athletic Brewing Company
Tennessee pro catches 32 bass weighing 78-11 to earn fifth career BPT victory, top prize of $150,000 CHARLES COUNTY, Md., June 30, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After a week that saw Tennessee pro Ott DeFoe near the top of SCORETRACKER® leaderboard every day he was on the water, the Tennessee pro finally shot to the top when it mattered most, taking down the Zenni Stage 6 Presented by Athletic Brewing Company Championship Round for his fourth Bass Pro Tour regular-season win and fifth BPT win overall. With a dominant final-day performance, DeFoe stacked up 32 bass for 78 pounds, 11 ounces to beat his closest pursuer in Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan by nearly 27 pounds. Nelson finished as the runner-up, his best finish on the Bass Pro Tour since joining the ranks last season. DeFoe is one of the winningest anglers in Bass Pro Tour history, behind only Jacob Wheeler and Dustin Connell, but this marks his first individual win since Heavy Hitters in 2022. It's his first regular season win since 2021 on Florida's Harris Chain of Lakes. He did it in typical DeFoe fashion, too, escaping the bulk of the 66-angler field and fishing far up a creek in the Potomac River backwaters. Link to Hi-Res Photo of Zenni Stage 6 at the Potomac River Winner Ott DeFoe Link to Afternoon Photo Gallery: DeFoe sets the pace as drama builds on the Potomac River during Stage 6 Championship Round Link to Evening Photo Gallery: Ott DeFoe earns milestone 10th career win at Bass Pro Tour Stage 6 on the Potomac River Link to HD Video of Highlights from Day 4 Championship Round Competition "The place where I caught them today was my first stop on the first day of the tournament," he said. "I saw them everywhere in practice and knew it had great potential. I had some other places where I could get bites, but with an early boat number on the first day, I had to go and see if I could get there first because it's not a big area." Fishing the same general area as fellow Championship Round qualifier Keith Carson, both got off to fast starts the first day. "[Carson] was in there with me as well, fishing a little different section, but it was a blistering start on the first day for both of us," he said. "I had 40 pounds by noon, but I had a later boat draw the second day, and I drove there and could see some other competitors idling back in there. I opted to turn around and leave and really struggled most of the day and barely made it to the Knockout Round." DeFoe couldn't make any other areas work but caught enough to advance. He was all-in on the area the final two days and took advantage of the tide schedule to get as far back as possible and reach bass in ultra-shallow water during the high tide, catching many of these fish he visually saw cruising due to the clear water. "In practice, the best bite was mid-to-lower part of the outgoing tide when the water was really moving; kind of that mid-tide zone to the bottom end of the tide," he said. "That's when the bite made the most sense. We only got that the first day of the tournament, though. The high tide was the best for my deal because I could get so much further back. That was the most productive for me, especially today with how high the tide was during the final days of the tournament." Getting to ultra-shallow water was helped by the tide schedule, and DeFoe believes the recent excessive heat was also a benefit, pushing bass to the shelter in the cooler creeks. "All of the major tributaries have a lot cooler water because it's flowing, and then you have big pad flats and cover going in for bass to relate to," he said. "With the extreme heat we had here, I believe it was a driving factor in why so many bass were up there. It also seemed like new fish were coming every day." The top 10 at the Zenni Stage 6 Presented by Athletic Brewing Company on the Potomac River finished: 1st: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 32 bass, 78-11, $150,0002nd: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 23 bass, 51-13, $45,0003rd: Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., 20 bass, 44-11, $35,0004th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 21 bass, 43-11, $30,0005th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 20 bass, 41-9, $25,0006th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 20 bass, 40-12, $23,0007th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 18 bass, 36-7, $22,0008th: Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 15 bass, 35-7, $21,0009th: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 31-1, $20,50010th: Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 14 bass, 30-1, $20,000 A complete list of results can be found at Overall, there were 198 scorable bass caught weighing 434 pounds, 3 ounces, by the final 10 pros on Sunday. Pro Bradley Roy won Sunday's $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award with a 4-pound, 9-ounce largemouth that he caught on a bladed swimjig in Period 2. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day. The four-day Zenni Stage 6 Presented by Athletic Brewing Company at the Potomac River was hosted by the Charles County Government, Dept. of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, and showcased 66 of the top professional anglers in the world competing for a $150,000 top prize, a share of the $6.49 million season purse, and valuable AOY points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2026, the Bass Pro Tour championship. Television coverage of the Zenni Stage 6 at the Potomac River Presented by Athletic Brewing Company will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 1 on Discovery, with the Championship Round premiering on Saturday, Nov. 8. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel. The 2025 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 66 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2026 championship. Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, Bass Force, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Rapala, Star brite, Suzuki, Toyota and Zenni. For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF's social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. About Major League Fishing Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world's largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America's living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world's top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care. View source version on Contacts MEDIA CONTACT:JOE OPAGER DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONSp: 218.434.0748e:
Business Wire
3 days ago
- Sport
- Business Wire
Ott DeFoe Wins MLF Bass Pro Tour Zenni Stage 6 at Potomac River Presented by Athletic Brewing Company
CHARLES COUNTY, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After a week that saw Tennessee pro Ott DeFoe near the top of SCORETRACKER® leaderboard every day he was on the water, the Tennessee pro finally shot to the top when it mattered most, taking down the Zenni Stage 6 Presented by Athletic Brewing Company Championship Round for his fourth Bass Pro Tour regular-season win and fifth BPT win overall. With a dominant final-day performance, DeFoe stacked up 32 bass for 78 pounds, 11 ounces to beat his closest pursuer in Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan by nearly 27 pounds. Nelson finished as the runner-up, his best finish on the Bass Pro Tour since joining the ranks last season. DeFoe is one of the winningest anglers in Bass Pro Tour history, behind only Jacob Wheeler and Dustin Connell, but this marks his first individual win since Heavy Hitters in 2022. It's his first regular season win since 2021 on Florida's Harris Chain of Lakes. He did it in typical DeFoe fashion, too, escaping the bulk of the 66-angler field and fishing far up a creek in the Potomac River backwaters. "The place where I caught them today was my first stop on the first day of the tournament,' he said. 'I saw them everywhere in practice and knew it had great potential. I had some other places where I could get bites, but with an early boat number on the first day, I had to go and see if I could get there first because it's not a big area." Fishing the same general area as fellow Championship Round qualifier Keith Carson, both got off to fast starts the first day. "[Carson] was in there with me as well, fishing a little different section, but it was a blistering start on the first day for both of us," he said. "I had 40 pounds by noon, but I had a later boat draw the second day, and I drove there and could see some other competitors idling back in there. I opted to turn around and leave and really struggled most of the day and barely made it to the Knockout Round." DeFoe couldn't make any other areas work but caught enough to advance. He was all-in on the area the final two days and took advantage of the tide schedule to get as far back as possible and reach bass in ultra-shallow water during the high tide, catching many of these fish he visually saw cruising due to the clear water. "In practice, the best bite was mid-to-lower part of the outgoing tide when the water was really moving; kind of that mid-tide zone to the bottom end of the tide,' he said. 'That's when the bite made the most sense. We only got that the first day of the tournament, though. The high tide was the best for my deal because I could get so much further back. That was the most productive for me, especially today with how high the tide was during the final days of the tournament." Getting to ultra-shallow water was helped by the tide schedule, and DeFoe believes the recent excessive heat was also a benefit, pushing bass to the shelter in the cooler creeks. "All of the major tributaries have a lot cooler water because it's flowing, and then you have big pad flats and cover going in for bass to relate to," he said. "With the extreme heat we had here, I believe it was a driving factor in why so many bass were up there. It also seemed like new fish were coming every day." The top 10 at the Zenni Stage 6 Presented by Athletic Brewing Company on the Potomac River finished: 1st: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 32 bass, 78-11, $150,000 2nd: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 23 bass, 51-13, $45,000 3rd: Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., 20 bass, 44-11, $35,000 4th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 21 bass, 43-11, $30,000 5th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 20 bass, 41-9, $25,000 6th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 20 bass, 40-12, $23,000 7th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 18 bass, 36-7, $22,000 8th: Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 15 bass, 35-7, $21,000 9th: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 31-1, $20,500 10th: Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 14 bass, 30-1, $20,000 A complete list of results can be found at Overall, there were 198 scorable bass caught weighing 434 pounds, 3 ounces, by the final 10 pros on Sunday. Pro Bradley Roy won Sunday's $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award with a 4-pound, 9-ounce largemouth that he caught on a bladed swimjig in Period 2. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day. The four-day Zenni Stage 6 Presented by Athletic Brewing Company at the Potomac River was hosted by the Charles County Government, Dept. of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, and showcased 66 of the top professional anglers in the world competing for a $150,000 top prize, a share of the $6.49 million season purse, and valuable AOY points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2026, the Bass Pro Tour championship. Television coverage of the Zenni Stage 6 at the Potomac River Presented by Athletic Brewing Company will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 1 on Discovery, with the Championship Round premiering on Saturday, Nov. 8. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel. The 2025 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 66 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2026 championship. Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, Bass Force, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Rapala, Star brite, Suzuki, Toyota and Zenni. For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF's social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world's largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America's living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world's top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Business Wire
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Business Wire
Jacob Wheeler Notches Ninth MLF Bass Pro Tour Win at Lowrance Stage 5 at Kentucky Lake Presented by Mercury
CALVERT CITY, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At each of the past two Bass Pro Tour regular-season events, Jacob Wheeler has finished in second place, one bite short of the win. He fell 2-3 shy of Drew Gill on Lake Murray, then lost a heartbreaker to Jake Lawrence on Chickamauga and Nickajack, when Lawrence caught a 5-9 in the final seconds before lines out. At Lowrance Stage 5 Presented by Mercury on Kentucky Lake, Wheeler made sure no one else even got a chance to steal the trophy. Wheeler rallied after a slow morning and stacked up 110 pounds, 13 ounces on 46 scorable bass during Sunday's Championship Round. He turned what looked like it would be another slugfest with Lawrence, the home-lake favorite, into a rout, topping Lawrence by 32-7. The win is Wheeler's first of 2025 and ninth overall on the Bass Pro Tour, adding to his tour-best trophy count. This one carried special significance, not just because he was able to flip the script and get revenge on Lawrence, but because he grew up traveling to Kentucky Lake to compete in tournaments alongside his father, Curtis, who passed away from cancer in April. 'I just felt like he was with me all week,' Wheeler said through tears shortly after the victory became official. 'It's the first tournament that I've fished on a lake that we fished together, and this one had a lot of meaning to it. Obviously, he was a big part of my life, and I wouldn't be here without him. I just wanted to win it for him.' Link to Hi-Res Photo of Lowrance Stage 5 Presented by Mercury Winner Jacob Wheeler Link to Photo Gallery: Kentucky Lake Delivers During Stage 5 Championship Round Link to Photo Gallery: Championship Round Underway on Kentucky Lake Link to HD Video of Livestream from Day 4 Championship Round Competition Not only did Wheeler take home the trophy and $150,000 top prize at Stage 5, he put himself in an excellent position to win another title (and $100,000 paycheck). Wheeler now has a 38-point lead in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year race over Lawrence, who moved up from fourth to second. As long as Wheeler makes the Knockout Round at each of the final two events of the regular season, he's virtually assured of his fourth AOY crown in the past five years. At this point, the better question might not be whether Wheeler will win Angler of the Year but whether he can break his own Bass Pro Tour record. Through five events, he's averaging a finish of 3.2. That's well ahead of the mark he set when he won his second points title in 2022 (5.4) for the best average finish in the seven-year history of the Bass Pro Tour. Given all he's achieved over the past seven years, it's natural to wonder whether the wins still mean as much. Wheeler's reaction after lines out erased any doubt that this victory is special. For one thing, he completed the unofficial Tennessee River Grand Slam – he's now won on Chickamauga, Guntersville, Pickwick and Kentucky. And Kentucky Lake has a particularly special place in Wheeler's heart. Growing up in Indianapolis, it was the closest venue that regularly hosted national-level events, and Wheeler's father drove him to the fishery to compete throughout his teenage years. As focused as he was on earning the win, every time he came across a familiar landmark, Wheeler couldn't help but think back to those times in the boat with his dad. 'I stopped at a point that my dad caught a 6 1/2-pounder on in March in a club tournament in practice just to reminisce,' he said. 'Stuff like that, as you're running down the lake, it just brings back insane memories at such a young age. That's what made it even so much sweeter.' The top 10 pros at the Lowrance Stage 5 Presented by Mercury on Kentucky Lake finished: 1st: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn. 46 bass, 110-13, $150,000 2nd: Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn., 30 bass, 78-6, $45,000 3rd: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 32 bass, 69-8, $35,000 4th: Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala., 27 bass, 62-13, $30,000 5th: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 26 bass, 62-10, $25,000 6th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 22 bass, 53-11, $23,000 7th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 18 bass, 51-11, $22,000 8th: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 16 bass, 44-11, $21,000 9th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 16 bass, 35-15, $20,500 10th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 12 bass, 29-10, $20,000 A complete list of results can be found at Cole Floyd won the Berkley Big Bass Award Sunday with a 5-pound, 12-ounce largemouth that he caught on a crankbait early in the first period. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day. The four-day tournament, hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Calloway County Tourism Commission, showcased 66 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of $650,000, including a top payout of $150,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2026, the Bass Pro Tour championship. Television coverage of the Lowrance Stage 5 at Kentucky Lake Presented by Mercury will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 25 on Discovery, with the Championship Round premiering on Saturday, Nov. 1. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel. The 2025 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 66 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2026 championship. Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, Bass Force, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Star brite, Suzuki Marine and Toyota. For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF's social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world's largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America's living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world's top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jacob Wheeler Notches Ninth MLF Bass Pro Tour Win at Lowrance Stage 5 at Kentucky Lake Presented by Mercury
Harrison, Tennessee pro catches 46 bass weighing 110-13 in final day Championship Round to earn top prize of $150,000 CALVERT CITY, Ky., June 09, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At each of the past two Bass Pro Tour regular-season events, Jacob Wheeler has finished in second place, one bite short of the win. He fell 2-3 shy of Drew Gill on Lake Murray, then lost a heartbreaker to Jake Lawrence on Chickamauga and Nickajack, when Lawrence caught a 5-9 in the final seconds before lines out. At Lowrance Stage 5 Presented by Mercury on Kentucky Lake, Wheeler made sure no one else even got a chance to steal the trophy. Wheeler rallied after a slow morning and stacked up 110 pounds, 13 ounces on 46 scorable bass during Sunday's Championship Round. He turned what looked like it would be another slugfest with Lawrence, the home-lake favorite, into a rout, topping Lawrence by 32-7. The win is Wheeler's first of 2025 and ninth overall on the Bass Pro Tour, adding to his tour-best trophy count. This one carried special significance, not just because he was able to flip the script and get revenge on Lawrence, but because he grew up traveling to Kentucky Lake to compete in tournaments alongside his father, Curtis, who passed away from cancer in April. "I just felt like he was with me all week," Wheeler said through tears shortly after the victory became official. "It's the first tournament that I've fished on a lake that we fished together, and this one had a lot of meaning to it. Obviously, he was a big part of my life, and I wouldn't be here without him. I just wanted to win it for him." Link to Hi-Res Photo of Lowrance Stage 5 Presented by Mercury Winner Jacob Wheeler Link to Photo Gallery: Kentucky Lake Delivers During Stage 5 Championship Round Link to Photo Gallery: Championship Round Underway on Kentucky Lake Link to HD Video of Livestream from Day 4 Championship Round Competition Not only did Wheeler take home the trophy and $150,000 top prize at Stage 5, he put himself in an excellent position to win another title (and $100,000 paycheck). Wheeler now has a 38-point lead in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year race over Lawrence, who moved up from fourth to second. As long as Wheeler makes the Knockout Round at each of the final two events of the regular season, he's virtually assured of his fourth AOY crown in the past five years. At this point, the better question might not be whether Wheeler will win Angler of the Year but whether he can break his own Bass Pro Tour record. Through five events, he's averaging a finish of 3.2. That's well ahead of the mark he set when he won his second points title in 2022 (5.4) for the best average finish in the seven-year history of the Bass Pro Tour. Given all he's achieved over the past seven years, it's natural to wonder whether the wins still mean as much. Wheeler's reaction after lines out erased any doubt that this victory is special. For one thing, he completed the unofficial Tennessee River Grand Slam – he's now won on Chickamauga, Guntersville, Pickwick and Kentucky. And Kentucky Lake has a particularly special place in Wheeler's heart. Growing up in Indianapolis, it was the closest venue that regularly hosted national-level events, and Wheeler's father drove him to the fishery to compete throughout his teenage years. As focused as he was on earning the win, every time he came across a familiar landmark, Wheeler couldn't help but think back to those times in the boat with his dad. "I stopped at a point that my dad caught a 6 1/2-pounder on in March in a club tournament in practice just to reminisce," he said. "Stuff like that, as you're running down the lake, it just brings back insane memories at such a young age. That's what made it even so much sweeter." The top 10 pros at the Lowrance Stage 5 Presented by Mercury on Kentucky Lake finished: 1st: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn. 46 bass, 110-13, $150,0002nd: Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn., 30 bass, 78-6, $45,0003rd: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 32 bass, 69-8, $35,0004th: Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala., 27 bass, 62-13, $30,0005th: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 26 bass, 62-10, $25,0006th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 22 bass, 53-11, $23,0007th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 18 bass, 51-11, $22,0008th: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 16 bass, 44-11, $21,0009th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 16 bass, 35-15, $20,50010th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 12 bass, 29-10, $20,000 A complete list of results can be found at Cole Floyd won the Berkley Big Bass Award Sunday with a 5-pound, 12-ounce largemouth that he caught on a crankbait early in the first period. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day. The four-day tournament, hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Calloway County Tourism Commission, showcased 66 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of $650,000, including a top payout of $150,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2026, the Bass Pro Tour championship. Television coverage of the Lowrance Stage 5 at Kentucky Lake Presented by Mercury will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 25 on Discovery, with the Championship Round premiering on Saturday, Nov. 1. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel. The 2025 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 66 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2026 championship. Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, Bass Force, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Star brite, Suzuki Marine and Toyota. For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF's social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. About Major League Fishing Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world's largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America's living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world's top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care. View source version on Contacts MEDIA CONTACT:CHARITY MUEHLENWEG SENIOR MANAGER, PR & COMMUNICATIONSp: 405.694.1025e: charitym@
